vanity fair(名利场)-第180章

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old；　scolding；　and　bankruptmay　we　have　in　our　last　days
a　kind　soft　shoulder　on　which　to　lean　and　a　gentle　hand
to　soothe　our　gouty　old　pillows。
Old　Sedley　grew　very　fond　of　his　daughter　after　his
wife's　death；　and　Amelia　had　her　consolation　in　doing　her
duty　by　the　old　man。
But　we　are　not　going　to　leave　these　two　people　long　in
such　a　low　and　ungenteel　station　of　life。　　Better　days；　as
far　as　worldly　prosperity　went；　were　in　store　for　both。
Perhaps　the　ingenious　reader　has　guessed　who　was　the
stout　gentleman　who　called　upon　Georgy　at　his　school　in
company　with　our　old　friend　Major　Dobbin。　　It　was
another　old　acquaintance　returned　to　England；　and　at　a　time
when　his　presence　was　likely　to　be　of　great　comfort　to
his　relatives　there。
Major　Dobbin　having　easily　succeeded　in　getting　leave
from　his　good…natured　commandant　to　proceed　to
Madras；　and　thence　probably　to　Europe；　on　urgent　private
affairs；　never　ceased　travelling　night　and　day　until　he
reached　his　journey's　end；　and　had　directed　his　march
with　such　celerity　that　he　arrived　at　Madras　in　a　high
fever。　　His　servants　who　accompanied　him　brought　him
to　the　house　of　the　friend　with　whom　he　had　resolved　to
stay　until　his　departure　for　Europe　in　a　state　of　delirium；
and　it　was　thought　for　many；　many　days　that　he　would
never　travel　farther　than　the　burying…ground　of　the　church
of　St。　　George's；　where　the　troops　should　fire　a　salvo　over
his　grave；　and　where　many　a　gallant　officer　lies　far　away
from　his　home。
Here；　as　the　poor　fellow　lay　tossing　in　his　fever；　the
people　who　watched　him　might　have　heard　him　raving
about　Amelia。　　The　idea　that　he　should　never　see　her　again
depressed　him　in　his　lucid　hours。　　He　thought　his　last　day
was　come；　and　he　made　his　solemn　preparations　for
departure；　setting　his　affairs　in　this　world　in　order　and
leaving　the　little　property　of　which　he　was　possessed　to
those　whom　he　most　desired　to　benefit。　　The　friend　in
whose　house　he　was　located　witnessed　his　testament。　　He
desired　to　be　buried　with　a　little　brown　hair…chain　which
he　wore　round　his　neck　and　which；　if　the　truth　must　be
known；　he　had　got　from　Amelia's　maid　at　Brussels；　when
the　young　widow's　hair　was　cut　off；　during　the　fever
which　prostrated　her　after　the　death　of　George　Osborne
on　the　plateau　at　Mount　St。　　John。
He　recovered；　rallied；　relapsed　again；　having　undergone
such　a　process　of　blood…letting　and　calomel　as
showed　the　strength　of　his　original　constitution。　　He　was
almost　a　skeleton　when　they　put　him　on　board　the
Ramchunder　East　Indiaman；　Captain　Bragg；　from　Calcutta；
touching　at　Madras；　and　so　weak　and　prostrate　that　his
friend　who　had　tended　him　through　his　illness　prophesied
that　the　honest　Major　would　never　survive　the　voyage；
and　that　he　would　pass　some　morning；　shrouded　in
flag　and　hammock；　over　the　ship's　side；　and　carrying
down　to　the　sea　with　him　the　relic　that　he　wore　at　his
heart。　　But　whether　it　was　the　sea　air；　or　the　hope　which
sprung　up　in　him　afresh；　from　the　day　that　the　ship
spread　her　canvas　and　stood　out　of　the　roads　towards
home；　our　friend　began　to　amend；　and　he　was　quite
well　（though　as　gaunt　as　a　greyhound）　before　they
reached　the　Cape。　　〃Kirk　will　be　disappointed　of　his
majority　this　time；〃　he　said　with　a　smile；　〃he　will
expect　to　find　himself　gazetted　by　the　time　the　regiment
reaches　home。〃　For　it　must　be　premised　that　while　the
Major　was　lying　ill　at　Madras；　having　made　such
prodigious　haste　to　go　thither；　the　gallant　th；　which　had
passed　many　years　abroad；　which　after　its　return　from
the　West　Indies　had　been　baulked　of　its　stay　at　home　by
the　Waterloo　campaign；　and　had　been　ordered　from
Flanders　to　India；　had　received　orders　home；　and　the　Major
might　have　accompanied　his　comrades；　had　he　chosen　to
wait　for　their　arrival　at　Madras。
Perhaps　he　was　not　inclined　to　put　himself　in　his
exhausted　state　again　under　the　guardianship　of　Glorvina。
〃I　think　Miss　O'Dowd　would　have　done　for　me；〃　he　said
laughingly　to　a　fellow…passenger；　〃if　we　had　had　her　on
board；　and　when　she　had　sunk　me；　she　would　have　fallen
upon　you；　depend　upon　it；　and　carried　you　in　as　a　prize
to　Southampton；　Jos；　my　boy。〃
For　indeed　it　was　no　other　than　our　stout　friend
who　was　also　a　passenger　on　board　the　Ramchunder。　　He
had　passed　ten　years　in　Bengal。　　Constant　dinners；　tiffins；
pale　ale　and　claret；　the　prodigious　labour　of　cutcherry；
and　the　refreshment　of　brandy…pawnee　which　he　was
forced　to　take　there；　had　their　effect　upon　Waterloo　Sedley。
A　voyage　to　Europe　was　pronounced　necessary　for　him
and　having　served　his　full　time　in　India　and　had　fine
appointments　which　had　enabled　him　to　lay　by　a　considerable
sum　of　money；　he　was　free　to　come　home　and　stay
with　a　good　pension；　or　to　return　and　resume　that　rank
in　the　service　to　which　his　seniority　and　his　vast　talents
entitled　him。
He　was　rather　thinner　than　when　we　last　saw　him；
but　had　gained　in　majesty　and　solemnity　of　demeanour。
He　had　resumed　the　mustachios　to　which　his　services　at
Waterloo　entitled　him；　and　swaggered　about　on　deck　in　a
magnificent　velvet　cap　with　a　gold　band　and　a　profuse
ornamentation　of　pins　and　jewellery　about　his　person。
He　took　breakfast　in　his　cabin　and　dressed　as　solemnly　to
appear　on　the　quarter…deck　as　if　he　were　going　to　turn　out
for　Bond　Street；　or　the　Course　at　Calcutta。　　He　brought　a
native　servant　with　him；　who　was　his　valet　and　pipe…
bearer　and　who　wore　the　Sedley　crest　in　silver　on　his
turban。　　That　oriental　menial　had　a　wretched　life　under
the　tyranny　of　Jos　Sedley。　　Jos　was　as　vain　of　his　person
as　a　woman；　and　took　as　long　a　time　at　his　toilette　as
any　fading　beauty。　　The　youngsters　among　the
passengers；　Young　Chaffers　of　the　150th；　and　poor　little
Ricketts；　coming　home　after　his　third　fever；　used　to　draw
out　Sedley　at　the　cuddy…table　and　make　him　tell
prodigious　stories　about　himself　and　his　exploits　against　tigers
and　Napoleon。　　He　was　great　when　he　visited　the
Emperor's　tomb　at　Longwood；　when　to　these　gentlemen　and
the　young　officers　of　the　ship；　Major　Dobbin　not　being　by；
he　described　the　whole　battle　of　Waterloo　and　all　but
announced　that　Napoleon　never　would　have　gone　to　Saint
Helena　at　all　but　for　him；　Jos　Sedley。
After　leaving　St。　　Helena　he　became　very　generous；
disposing　of　a　great　quantity　of　ship　stores；　claret；
preserved　meats；　and　great　casks　packed　with　soda…water；
brought　out　for　his　private　delectation。　　There　were　no
ladies　on　board；　the　Major　gave　the　pas　of　precedency
to　the　civilian；　so　that　he　was　the　first　dignitary　at
table；　and　treated　by　Captain　Bragg　and　the　officers　of
the　Ramchunder　with　the　respect　which　his　rank
warranted。　　He　disappeared　rather　in　a　panic　during　a　two…
days'　gale；　in　which　he　had　the　portholes　of　his　cabin
battened　down；　and　remained　in　his　cot　reading　the
Washerwoman　of　Finchley　Common；　left　on　board　the
Ramchunder　by　the　Right　Honourable　the　Lady　Emily
Hornblower；　wife　of　the　Rev。　　Silas　Hornblower；　when　on
their　passage　out　to　the　Cape；　where　the　Reverend　gentleman
was　a　missionary；　but；　for　common　reading；　he　had
brought　a　stock　of　novels　and　plays　which　he　lent　to　the
rest　of　the　ship；　and　rendered　himself　agreeable　to　all　by
his　kindness　and　condescension。
Many　and　many　a　night　as　the　ship　was　cutting　through
the　roaring　dark　sea；　the　moon　and　stars　shining
overhead　and　the　bell　singing　out　the　watch；　Mr。　Sedley　and
the　Major　would　sit　on　the　quarter…deck　of　the　vessel
talking　about　home；　as　the　Major　smoked　his　cheroot　and
the　civilian　puffed　at　the　hookah　which　his　servant
prepared　for　him。
In　these　conversations　it　was　wonderful　with　what
perseverance　and　ingenuity　Major　Dobbin　would　manage
to　bring　the　talk　round　to　the　subject　of　Amelia　and　her
little　boy。　　Jos；　a　little　testy　about　his　father's　misfortunes
and　unceremonious　applications　to　him；　was　soothed
down　by　the　Major；　who　pointed　out　the　elder's　ill
fortunes　and　old　age。　　He　would　not　perhaps　like　to　live　with
the　old　couple；　whose　ways　and　hours　might　not　agree
with　those　of　a　younger　man；　accustomed　to　different
society　（Jos　bowed　at　this　compliment）；　but；　the　Major
pointed　out；　how　advantageous　it　would　be　for　Jos　Sedley
to　have　a　house　of　his